Dr ‘Ali ‘Esa Mansoor al-‘Ekri, a consultant surgeon, is serving a five-year prison sentence in Jaw prison. He is a prisoner of conscience, jailed solely for exercising his rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Five young women activists have been detained in China after planning events calling for an end to sexual harassment to mark International Women’s Day. They could face up to five years in prison if convicted of 'picking quarrels and provoking troubles'.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister has lifted the moratorium on executions in the wake of the horrific attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on 16 December. Six men have already been executed, and more could be carried out at any time.

Detained Chinese women’s rights activist Su Changlan has been formally arrested and charged with ‘inciting subversion’, for showing support for the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong online. She faces life imprisonment. She does not have access to her lawyer or family.

Public transport driver Jerryme Corre suffered shocking torture at the hands of police in the Philippines, after they accused him of killing a police officer.

He told Amnesty that, after his arrest, the officers “kicked and punched me on the sides, neck, stomach and knees”. Then they blindfolded him, handcuffed his ankles, and beat him throughout the night, hitting the soles of his feet with a wooden baton.

Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab was arrested on 1 October for posting tweets deemed insulting to the country’s Ministry of Interior. The appeal hearing for Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab has started after being sentenced to six months in prison for ‘publicly insulting official institutions’ on 20 January.

Ibrahim Halawa, an Irish citizen, is a prisoner of conscience, held in a prison in Egypt detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and assembly. The trial of all defendants was adjouned until 26 April, after numerous postponements. If convicted he could face the death penalty.